1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to Distributed Generator (DG) systems and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for detecting a disconnected component within a DG.
2. Description of the Related Art
Use of distributed generators (DGs) to produce energy from renewable resources is steadily gaining commercial acceptance due to the rapid depletion of existing fossil fuels and the increasing costs of current methods of generating power. One such type of DG may be a solar power system comprising one or more arrays of photovoltaic (PV) modules that convert solar energy received from the sun into a direct current (DC). One or more inverters then convert the DC current from the PV modules into an alternating current (AC). The AC power generated may then be used to run appliances at a home or business, or may be sold to the commercial power company.
Although deployment of solar power systems is becoming increasingly widespread and therefore more competitively priced, solar power systems still entail substantial costs, for example, the cost of purchasing and installing individual PV modules. The out-of-doors and sometimes isolated location of the solar power systems, along with the modularity of the solar power system components, provides an opportunity for the PV modules to be stolen and illegally re-sold.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for determining when a component within a DG becomes disconnected.